Chapter 2

Avery's POV

I gathered myself and walked toward the VIP suite.

Julian was waiting right by the heavy double doors. When he saw me approach, he leaned in, his voice hushed and cold.

"Don't bring up our past in front of Chloe," he warned under his breath. "We’re done. Keep your mouth shut and don't complicate things."

I looked up into his dark eyes.

"Don't worry, Mr. Sterling. I know my place."

Stepping inside the luxurious lounge, I launched into my standard routine, introducing the club’s premium services.

Chloe sank deep into the plush velvet sofa, leaning back without so much as glancing my way.

"These lights are blinding," she complained. "Dim them."

I turned quietly to adjust the dimmers.

Chloe lifted her porcelain cup, took a tiny sip, and instantly slammed it back onto the saucer with a scowl.

"This coffee is scalding! Are you trying to burn my mouth off?"

Julian didn't hesitate. He called the staff to brew a fresh cup, personally testing the warmth with the back of his hand before placing it gently near her fingers.

"How's that, babe?"

"Tolerable, I guess."

Chloe picked it up, then immediately made a face at the fruit platter, complaining the melon wasn't sweet enough.

Julian carefully sliced a choice piece himself and fed it to her mouth.

Chloe nibbled on it, and Julian casually wiped the corner of her lips with his thumb before leaning down to press a soft kiss against her forehead.

"Julian," Chloe suddenly whined, pointing a manicured nail straight at me. "Having her stand there creeps me out. Make her leave."

Julian shot me an indifferent glance.

"Wait outside. I'll call you if we need anything."

I nodded, stepped back out into the hallway, and closed the heavy oak door behind me.

Leaning against the cold wallpaper, my fingernails dug deep into the palms of my hands.

Through the crack, I could hear Chloe's sweet, teasing giggles and Julian's low, coaxing murmur.

I stood there for thirty seconds, forcing my breath to even out before walking back to the front desk.

Through it all, the polite, professional smile on my face never slipped.

Watching how tenderly he treated her, the very last ember in my heart went completely cold.

In three years, he had never once handled me with such fragile care.

I used to believe he was just emotionally detached by nature. Turns out, he wasn't cold at all—he was just saving his warmth for someone else.

I remembered the time I came down with a 103-degree fever. When I called him, delirious in the dark, he told me he was closing a deal and ordered me to dial 911 myself.

Back then, I made excuses for him, telling myself he was just too busy running an empire.

Now the truth stared me right in the face: he just didn't care.

Inside that suite, other guests had pulled out their phones, recording every sweet, tender gesture.

By early next morning, the news of Julian Sterling flaunting his new flame blew up on TikTok and went viral on TMZ.

The clip of Julian kissing Chloe’s forehead was replayed millions of times, the comment sections drowning in congratulations for the "Billionaire’s True Love."

That afternoon, my phone rang. It was Julian's mother.

"Avery, get to the estate right now," Eleanor Sterling's voice trembled with sheer fury over the line.

When I rushed into the Sterling mansion, the grand foyer was crowded with terrified house staff.

Arthur Sterling stood in the center of the vast living room, his face dark with murderous rage.

And Julian was down on his knees on the Persian rug.

The left side of his face was violently swollen, his split lip bleeding—proof of the brutal slap his father had just delivered.

Eleanor sat on the sofa, sobbing into her trembling hands.

"You dare say you're going to marry her?" Arthur's roar shook the walls of the vast living room. "The internet is blowing up with your filthy scandal! It wasn't enough to humiliate yourself—now you have to drag the entire Sterling family through the dirt with you?!"

Julian raised his chin, blood dripping from his split lip, his gaze stubbornly defiant.

"I’m marrying Chloe, and none of you can stop me."

"You little—" Arthur shook with sheer fury, raising his heavy hand to strike him again.

I lunged forward, throwing myself in front of Julian.

The blow landed heavily against my shoulder. The force made me stumble, but I bit the inside of my cheek and stayed on my feet.

The living room fell into dead silence.

Every maid and butler dropped their gaze to the floor, terrified to breathe.

Arthur slowly lowered his hand, his chest heaving violently, his pointing finger trembling with speechless rage.

I turned around to face him, keeping my voice completely level.

"Mr. Sterling, the media is already circling like vultures. Beating him won't fix the family's reputation."